Speakable Japanese

How to Ask "What is this?" in Japanese: Asking About Things (Nan desu ka)

Hello! In the previous lesson, you learned to ask simple questions. In this lesson, we will further strengthen your question-asking skills.
Let's master the use of the most basic question word, "何 (nan)," to ask for specific information, as in the phrase "これは何ですか？" (What is this?).

🎯 Lesson Goal

Learn to ask specific questions about unfamiliar things and concepts using the chunk 「〜は何ですか？」 (~ wa nan desu ka?)!

Step 1 Discover

Let's look at how this is used in a real situation. Maya is asking Akira about some unfamiliar things.

👩
Maya

すみません、これは何ですか？

(Sumimasen, kore wa nan desu ka?)

👨🏽‍🦱
Akira

これは「お好み焼き」です。

(Kore wa "okonomiyaki" desu.)

👩
Maya

じゃあ、あれは何ですか？

(Jaa, are wa nan desu ka?)

👨🏽‍🦱
Akira

あれは東京タワーです。

(Are wa Toukyou Tawa- desu.)

💡

Did you notice?

Maya uses "Kore" (This) for something right in front of her, and "Are" (That over there) for something far away!

Step 2 The Pattern

Here is the most powerful and useful chunk for asking about things you don't know.

Basic Chunk

は 何 ですか？

( wa nan desu ka?)

🔑 Key Point: How to use "何 (nan)"

"何 (nan)" is the most basic question word, corresponding to the English "What". "これは何ですか？" is extremely useful for asking about objects, but you can also use it to ask for the meaning of a word (e.g., "Sushi wa nan desu ka?").

🌟 Pro Tip: Kore / Sore / Are

Remember the big three: これ (Kore) = This (near you), それ (Sore) = That (near the listener), and あれ (Are) = That over there (far from both).

Step 3 Pattern Practice

Keep the chunk exactly the same, but swap the words in the blank. Read these out loud!

  • Hobby Your hobby (anata no shumi)

    あなたの趣味 は何ですか？

    (Anata no shumi wa nan desu ka?)

  • Job Akira's job (Akira-san no shigoto)

    アキラさんの仕事 は何ですか？

    (Akira-san no shigoto wa nan desu ka?)

  • Food Today's lunch (kyou no ranchi)

    今日のランチ は何ですか？

    (Kyou no ranchi wa nan desu ka?)

Step 4 Make It Yours!

Now it's your turn! Create questions about what you would like to ask your conversation partner or about unfamiliar aspects of Japanese culture.

👉 TARGET は 何 ですか？

Vocabulary Cheat Sheet

Things to Ask About

  • おすすめ osusume (recommendation)
  • なまえ namae (name)
  • でんわばんごう denwa bangou (phone number)
  • じゅうしょ juusho (address)

Cultural Words (Ask meanings!)

  • 「サムライ」 "Samurai"
  • 「忍者」 "Ninja"
  • 「漫画」 "Manga"
  • 「侘び寂び」 "Wabi-sabi"

Bonus Go Beyond the Basics

Now that you can ask "What is this?", let's look at how to say "It is NOT..." and how to ask these questions casually to your friends!

🙅‍♀️ 1. Negative

Basic / Formal

お好み焼き ではありません。

(Okonomiyaki dewa arimasen.)

Casual (Friends)

お好み焼き じゃない。

(Okonomiyaki ja nai.)

🤝 2. Friendly & Casual

Dropping the particles

これ、何？

("Kore, nani?" - Drop "wa" and "desu ka")

Pronunciation Tip

これ、何？

(Make sure your intonation goes UP at the end!)

Summary Lesson Review

Asking "What": Use the question word 何 (nan) to ask about specific information or the meaning of words.

Demonstrative Words: Remember the big three: これ (Kore) for near you, それ (Sore) for near the listener, and あれ (Are) for far away.

Casual Questions: With friends, you can drop the particles and simply ask 何？ (Nani?) with a rising intonation.

Practice Drill

1 / X Polite

Related Lessons & Next Steps